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Swarzak running, close to first throwing session

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Right-hander Anthony Swarzak said on Sunday that he's making good progress with his broken ribs, and could throw for the first time on Tuesday.

Swarzak, who cracked two ribs in a wrestling incident with teammates while in Minnesota for TwinsFest on Jan. 25, ran for the first time on Saturday.

"Everything feels good," Swarzak said. "I ran outside yesterday for the first time, which is progress. A lot of things could go wrong but I felt pretty good. So hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday I'll be playing catch."

Swarzak admitted it's been tough to be on the sidelines early in Spring Training but has been encouraged by his recent progress that has put him ahead of schedule. He said he believes he'll be ready by Opening Day.

"It's rest -- it's all it is," Swarzak said. "There's nothing you can do to speed up the process. It just has to heal on its own. But I'm extremely happy. Honestly, I'm about a week and a half or a two weeks ahead of schedule."